The New Botox Everyone is Having, But Would You?

I have Botox, and now I have Baby Botox. I’m more than happy to admit that I give nature a helping hand. I was curious to try it a few years ago, loved the results and have had it a handful of times since. Traditional Botox smoothes out unwanted lines in about 10 days, and there is minimal pain. Sure, it’s pricey, but so is a lot of skincare and at least with Botox you’re guaranteed timely results. My love affair with Botox changed, though, after a particularly stressful Southern Rail journey. I disembarked the train, checked my makeup and realised in the 45 minutes it had taken me to travel from East Croydon to Haywards Heath I had been joined by a particularly aggressive frown line. I booked in for a treatment pronto and decided to have a little more than I’d had before…

A few weeks later, a very close friend called to tell me she was pregnant to which, of course, I was elated and animatedly so. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my other half looking at me with a curious and then quite angry expression. When I finally hung up, he pounced, “You’ve had Botox? Haven’t you?” While I don’t disclose to him every treatment I book in for, I’m not going to lie. “Yes,” I said. To which he retorted, “Your eyes look mental!” And, if I’m honest, peering into a mirror later that evening, I noticed they didn’t look like my eyes—too smooth and wide, even when I tried to squint. That’s when I went in search of something a little more discreet and discovered Baby Botox. It’s the treatment, now having experienced it, that I’m convinced every A-lister is onto. It leaves your complexion looking fresher and smoother but with totally natural movement (key for any actress). Now it’s marketed as the entry-level Botox treatment, like riding a bike with stabilisers or swimming with water wings, but it has some surprising uses as well. Needless to say, I won’t be going back to the classic any time soon. Keep scrolling to find out how Baby Botox works.

Baby Botox V.s. Classic Botox

Both treatments use the same strength of botulinum toxin, but a far more delicate approach is taken when it comes to administering Baby Botox. “You’re trying to have a very natural, not frozen, result. It prevents wrinkles but you’ll still have movement,” explains Dr. Pamela Benito, DDS, MSc. “It acts like a little complexion freshener. “

While Baby Botox is a great entry-level treatment, Dr. Benito explains, “It’s also for anyone who doesn’t want a heavy look.”

Baby Botox can also be used in more areas of the face and body than the traditional-strength treatment. “Baby Botox can be focused into the usual areas where you would have traditional Botox, the frown lines, forehead and crow’s feet, but Baby Botox can also be used to give a lot of areas a little lift and tighten,” says Dr. Benito.

“When it comes to the lower third of the face, you have to be more careful and use less,” the doctor explains.

And this is where Baby Botox really comes into play. “You can use it to treat the Marionette lines around the mouth which can make you look sad. The bunny lines on the nose. It can treat smoker’s lines, or, in older women, it can even be used to tighten the chin,” explains Dr. Bentio.

In fact, Baby Botox can even be injected into the muscles where your jaw joins your skull to prevent clenching and grinding of the teeth. “As a side effect of this, we noticed that these muscles relaxing gives the jawline a V-shape and actually slims the face,” she told me. Win, win.

And it’s not just the face where Baby Botox can be employed. “We can use it on the neck to lift, on the décolletage to tighten any fine lines and under the arms to prevent sweating,” adds Dr. Benito.

Most surprisingly, Dr. Benito revealed that Baby Botox can be injected into the gums to drop the lip and conceal a gummy-looking smile. If you want to explore the lesser-known uses for Baby Botox you need to visit a professional with plenty of experience, as there can be complications injecting in the lower part of the face.

How Long Does Baby Botox Last?

Traditional Botox lasts around four to five months, while Baby Botox lasts three months (longevity can change from person to person). Personally, I find that I only need to have a treatment once a year. “This makes sense,” says Dr. Benito. “If your muscles are not able to frown for a few months, you’re essentially re-educating them. Once the Botox wears off, it will take a while for your muscles to start moving again as they once did.”

Dr. Benito sees Baby Botox as a real preventative measure, one that she hasn’t had to resort to yet (she has the smoothest forehead). So what’s her secret? “I’ve been using sunscreen daily since my early 20s, and I have never had Botox in my forehead. Even if you drink plenty of water and use good skincare, it’s the sunblock that makes the difference. You won’t see it now, but come your late 30s and 40s, that’s when the damage from the past 20 years shows up.”

As well as sunscreen (SPF 50), Dr. Benito recommends using a vitamin C serum and hydrating moisturiser daily. Keep scrolling to shop our top picks including the best lightweight SPF 50 that won't aggravate or clog sensitive or spot-prone skins.